A Relational Approach to the Study of Religious Survival Units

Niels Reeh

A Relational Approach to the Study of Religious Survival Units

Niels Reeh

Institut for Tværkulturelle og Regionale Studier

2 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

The article departs from the finding that religious texts and actors relate to other religions as for instance The Old Testament relates to Canaanites, the New Testament to Jews, Pagans etc. A consequence of this inter-relatedness of religion is that religion can be studied as a relational phenomenon and that religions are engaged in a more or less intense struggle against other competing religions. Further, using John Searle’s notion of collective subjectivity, the article posits that religions are in fact an example of such collective subjectivity (Searle 1995). In this perspective, a religion can be defined and studied as the result of complex set of dynamic relations, where a central tenet of a religion is that it relates to the significant religious other. As such religion is not a stable phenomenon but embedded in a dynamic historical process, which can explain the
difficulties scholars have had in defining religion.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	Method and Theory in the Study of Religion
Vol/bind	25
Sider (fra-til)	1-19
Antal sider	19
ISSN	0943-3058
Status	Udgivet - 12 okt. 2012

Emneord

Det Humanistiske Fakultet
Theory
Religion
Religious Survival Units
Religion & Philosophy (General)
Research Methodology

Citationsformater

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T1 - A Relational Approach to the Study of Religious Survival Units

AU - Reeh, Niels

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N2 - The article departs from the finding that religious texts and actors relate to other religions as for instance The Old Testament relates to Canaanites, the New Testament to Jews, Pagans etc. A consequence of this inter-relatedness of religion is that religion can be studied as a relational phenomenon and that religions are engaged in a more or less intense struggle against other competing religions. Further, using John Searle’s notion of collective subjectivity, the article posits that religions are in fact an example of such collective subjectivity (Searle 1995). In this perspective, a religion can be defined and studied as the result of complex set of dynamic relations, where a central tenet of a religion is that it relates to the significant religious other. As such religion is not a stable phenomenon but embedded in a dynamic historical process, which can explain the difficulties scholars have had in defining religion.

AB - The article departs from the finding that religious texts and actors relate to other religions as for instance The Old Testament relates to Canaanites, the New Testament to Jews, Pagans etc. A consequence of this inter-relatedness of religion is that religion can be studied as a relational phenomenon and that religions are engaged in a more or less intense struggle against other competing religions. Further, using John Searle’s notion of collective subjectivity, the article posits that religions are in fact an example of such collective subjectivity (Searle 1995). In this perspective, a religion can be defined and studied as the result of complex set of dynamic relations, where a central tenet of a religion is that it relates to the significant religious other. As such religion is not a stable phenomenon but embedded in a dynamic historical process, which can explain the difficulties scholars have had in defining religion.

KW - Faculty of Humanities

KW - Theory

KW - Religion

KW - Religious Survival Units

KW - Religion & Philosophy (General)

KW - Research Methodology

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0943-3058

VL - 25

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EP - 19

JO - Method and Theory in the Study of Religion

JF - Method and Theory in the Study of Religion

ER -